AIC goaltender Ben Meisner is becoming one of the elite in NCAA Division I hockey history

SPRINGFIELD – What do goaltenders Tim Thomas, John Muse and Glenn Healy have in common with senior Ben Meisner of American International College?

They can all be found in the record book in the category of most career saves in NCAA Division I history.

At his current pace, Meisner could finish as high as 11th place all-time. He has accumulated 3,416 saves.

Thomas, who helped the Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 2011, recorded 3,950 saves from 1994-97 at the University of Vermont and is third overall. Healy, who played at Western Michigan from 1982-85, later enjoyed a 15-year career in the National Hockey League, most notably with the New York Islanders, and is fourth with 3,933. Muse, a 2011 graduate of Boston College boasted a college record of 89-39-16, including a 27-6-1 mark his senior season. Muse is 11th with 3,697 stops, but could give way to Meisner by season’s end.

Meisner would need to average 31.33 saves over the final seven regular-season games, and the minimum guarantee of two playoff games, to pass Muse.

American Hockey League fans will recognize at least a couple of more names on the list.

Robbie Moore of the University of Michigan graduated in 1976 with 4,434 saves and is No. 1. As a pro, Moore shared goaltending duties for the Maine Mariners, then a Philadelphia Flyer farm team in the AHL, with the likes of Pelle Lindbergh, Sam St. Laurent and Rick St. Croix. The Mariners won three consecutive Hap Holmes Trophies with Moore for having the league’s best goals against average.

Marty Wakelyn of Colorado College (1983-86) is 12th on the list with 3,630 saves. He played two of his pro seasons with the Springfield Indians.

Meisner, a native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, is going out with a flourish. He’s 2-0-2 in his last four games, including an amazing tie and win at Air Force, and then a shutout at Army. In that span, he has sported a goals-against average of 0.96, and a save percentage of .976.

“Ever since the beginning of January, he’s really dialed it up,” AIC coach Gary Wright said. “And he’s a very good practice performer as well. He raises the level of our practice sessions.”

The Yellow Jackets host Sacred Heart Friday at the Olympia (7 p.m.). If Meisner records 29 saves, he will be 25th overall.

“I’ve always found myself on teams where I’d be facing a lot of shots, so it’s not new for me,” he said.

The onslaught started early this season. In the second game at new Division I Penn State, Meisner turned away 61 shots in a 3-2 win. He has been forced to make 40 or more saves 10 times this year, but perhaps his most spectacular outings came at Air Force Feb. 1-2. The Falcons entered that weekend 9-5-3 in Atlantic Hockey.

Meisner made 50 saves in a 2-2 tie the first night, and 38 in the 2-1 win the second game. The Falcons drew crowds of 2,107 and 2,216 for the contests, making it a tough environment.

“I felt every one of the shots,” Meisner said of the opener. “They came out hard. But we did a good job of clogging up the middle and keeping the shots to the outside. We stuck to our game plan, and read off their energy.”

After attending Ridley College, a boarding school in St. Catherines, Ontario, Meisner traveled to British Columbia to play college hockey.

“Things didn’t turn out for me, and I was just not going to play hockey anymore,” he said.

But the starting goaltender at Winchendon School blew out his knee, and former AIC backup goaltender Tom Patty, a goaltending coach there, was looking for help, so Meisner ended up attending the Massachusetts prep school.

At Winchendon, Meisner, only 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, posted a 23-11 record with a 2.90 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.

In Halifax, Springfield Indian teams used to play the Nova Scotia Voyageurs at the old Halifax Forum. It’s still there, and Meisner, a member of the Nova Scotia U-17 gold medal and U-16 bronze medal teams, is a frequent visitor in the off-season, skating in beer league games.

However, he’s not in goal, but his dad, Todd, is. Ben, playing up front, gets special satisfaction when putting one past his father.

Meisner, a psychology major, was a member of the Atlantic Hockey All Academic team last season.

There’s one more major accomplishment for Meisner and his Yellow Jackets this season that for many has gone unnoticed. It would be a good trivia question.

On Monday, Quinnipiac University (21-3-4) was voted the No. 1 team in the nation for the first time in its Division I history in any sport. The Bobcats have not lost since Nov. 6, and are riding a 21-game unbeaten string at 18-0-3.

Who was the last team to beat them?

AIC – by a score of 2-1, and the game was played at Quinnipiac. Meisner made 39 saves.